By now you’ll be aware of the Maui wildfires that have ravaged the landscape there, fully incinerating hundreds of homes and currently leaving 115 people dead, with the number expected to rise.
With so much devastation, there is one home that has seemingly avoided the fires entirely. In aerial pictures of the aftermath of the fires, you can see one white house with a bright red roof seemingly untouched by flames.
This house belongs to Dora Atwater Millikin, a landscape artist, and her husband Dudley Long Millikin II, a retired portfolio manager. They bought the house just three years ago and avoided the fires themselves because they were in Massachusetts at the time, visiting family.
So how did their house avoid the wildfires when so many other homes went up in flames? Here’s what most likely preserved it.
Metal Roofing And Fire Resistance
The biggest reason the Millikins’ house avoided burning is because they had recently replaced the asphalt shingle roof on the house with a metal one. Why is this important? Because on most homes, the roof is where a fire will start during wildfires.
That’s because your roof has the biggest surface area for embers and burning debris to land on. It’s very easy for burning leaves or even branches from a nearby tree to land on the roof and cause a fire. Depending on the materials used in your roof, it can go up in flames very quickly.
With a metal roof though, that isn’t going to happen. As metal isn’t flammable, if burning debris lands there then it will simply burn out there without causing damage to the house itself. This is what’s credited towards saving the house.
Fire Resistance Ratings
If you’re thinking about replacing your roof and living in an area that’s at risk of wildfires, then you’ll want to consider getting a metal roof over other options, such as asphalt shingles or shakes. Want to know what roof option is the most resistant to fire? You can check their fire resistance ratings.
These ratings are designed to help you see how much any roofing material can resist a fire before catching fire itself. Metal roofs are one of the options that have the highest Class A ratings, meaning that they’re impervious to fire. Because of this, they’re an option that you should very seriously consider.
Want a closer look at the ratings and what they mean? You can take a look at the NFPA’s page on fire ratings, and what’s taken into consideration when rating a roofing material.
Trees And Fire Resistance
As well as the metal roof, the Millikins’ home managed to avoid fire due to the landscaping choices that they had also recently made. They had removed a lot of trees and other greenery from the perimeter of their home, as the 100 year old wooden home was at risk of termites. By removing the foliage, they had aimed to reduce their entry into the home.
By doing this, they had also incidentally protected their home from fire. When you look at advice for avoiding wildfire damage to your home, it is often suggested to remove foliage so there’s less fuel for wildfires around your home. As well as getting a metal roof, it’s a very good idea to mimic this on your own property.
There are some other good reasons to remove trees around the home, too. If the trees are very close to your roof, it’s much easier for debris to make its way onto it. In the best case scenario, it will cause moss and algae to build up, or get into your gutters and clog them. They also allow a really good route for pests to make their way into your roof. At worst, if there’s a wildfire it’s so easy for burning leaves or branches to land on your roof.
Clearing those trees away will help a lot in protecting your home in case of wildfire, so you’ll want to keep this in mind.
Benefits Of Metal Roofs
While a real benefit of metal roods is their fire resistance, there are lots of other reasons why you should consider them too. Here are a few top reasons to get a metal roof.
Longevity: When it comes to roofs, metal roofs are some of the longest lasting out there right now. When you take good care of a metal roof, it will last for up to 70 years. Compare that to asphalt shingle roofs, which typically last up to 30 years with good care. That makes them work considering.
Ease of maintenance: With any roof, you’ll need to keep up inspections and maintenance on it. Metal roofs are known to be easier to care for, as they are installed in large sheets rather than individual tiles or shingles. There’s less space for water and any other issues to start making their way in, making them easier to care for.
Quick to install: It’s always recommended that you have professional roofers install your roof, for several reasons. They’ll be able to do it safely and in an expert manner. When you have them do it, you’ll also see that they can install them quickly, too. That’s thanks to the large sheets mentioned above, as they really speed up the process.
Environmentally friendly: You’ll be surprised to know that a metal roof is made up of around 25% to 95% recycled material, making it highly environmentally friendly. Plus, once they reach the end of their lifespan, they can be removed and recycled again, rather than being put into a landfill. That’s great news for those trying to be more eco-friendly when planning home renovations.
Conclusion
As you can see, the metal roof on the Millikins’ home may just have been the reason it avoided the wildfires. With nothing flammable on the roof, any burning debris couldn’t cause any damage. If you live in an area at risk of wildfires, you should consider having a metal roof installed yourself.
And if you live in Virginia areas such as Warren, Middleburg, Winchester, or Leesburg, contact Piedmont Roofing. We’ll be happy to help you with your metal roofing needs!
